8 Bars to Visit If You Loved the Campbell Apartment

New York City's beloved, historic Campbell Apartment has closed, leaving many despondent barflies pining for the elegant, refined atmosphere that the Grand Central Terminal institution offered. The bar will reopen in some shape or form in the future, but the future iteration will likely be a far cry from what it once was.

Fortunately, there are other drinking establishments in the city that offer a like-minded environment to the Campbell Apartment (one is even in Grand Central Terminal). Here's a list of where you should go for a drink if Campbell Apartment's closing has got you down.

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The King Cole Bar at the St. Regis New York

The St. Regis New York

The King Cole Bar is said to be the birthplace of the Bloody Mary in America, where bartender Fernand Petiot created a spicy version of the drink back in 1934 called the Red Snapper. Nowadays, you can find businessmen and tourists alike drinking pricey cocktails at this elegant bar tucked inside The St. Regis Hotel. Known for the iconic Old King Cole mural painted by Maxfield Parrish in 1906, the space is also home to the exclusive Table 55, where guests will find a menu of rare spirits and vintage wines, for a fee of $2,500 that can be applied to the tab.

2 East 55th Street, 212-339-6857

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Bemelmans Bar

Don Riddle

Bemelmans Bar is a New York City icon located at the Carlyle hotel. It's named after Ludwig Bemelmans, the author of the "Madeleine" children's books, whose illustrations adorn the walls (he painted them in exchange for a year and a half of accommodations at the Carlyle for himself and his family). Come here for a perfectly executed martini and a bite to eat while enjoying nightly live jazz and entertainment. Woody Allen's jazz band frequently performs at the adjacent Café Carlyle (which is closed for the summer but will reopen in September), a truly New York experience at one of the most distinctive bars in the city.

35 East 76th Street, 212-744-1600

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Grand Central Oyster Bar

Grand Central Oyster Bar

The Campbell Apartment may be closed, but there's still a great place to have a drink in Grand Central Terminal. Grand Central Oyster Bar celebrated its centennial in 2013, standing alone as a truly historic restaurant and bar amidst the modern shops and eateries on the lower level of Grand Central. Obviously you can find a large menu of almost every type of seafood to eat here. But the bar is not to be missed either, as veteran bartenders Marcello Hernandez and Alex Dimitropoulos, with over 70 years of experience between them, offer up conversation and confidently made cocktails that keep customers coming back.

89 East 42nd Street, 212-490-6650

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Russian Tea Room

Russian Tea Room

The Russian Tea Room was founded in 1927 by members of the Russian Imperial Ballet, and has played host to artists, writers, politicians, and tourists ever since. This stately New York City establishment offers afternoon tea, a large selection of caviar and vodka, and fine dining from its continental menu featuring Russian-style classics like blintzes and borscht. Order a themed cocktail from the bar as well, like the $30 Cavitini, made with Skyy Vodka and 10 grams of hackleback caviar.

150 West 57th Street, 212-581-7100

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Gallow Green at The McKittrick Hotel, home of "Sleep No More"

The McKittrick Hotel

This Chelsea rooftop bar and lounge is a beautiful oasis away from the bustle of the city streets below. Gallow Green offers a special weekend brunch with live music and a savory buffet. But it's also a great place to stop by in the evening for a cocktail, one of its signature group punches (for up to 15 people), or something off of the new pizza menu. Below, within The McKittrick Hotel, you can find the Manderley Bar, the Heath restaurant, and performances of "Sleep No More," the long-running interactive play.

542 West 27th Street, 212-564-1662

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Old Town Bar

Flickr/flickr4jazz

This is probably the most casual of the NYC bars featured here, but it's a great one that has been around since 1892. To enter Old Town Bar is to step back in time, with its marble bar and tin ceilings–not to mention the giant urinals in the men's room that date back to 1910. Stop in for some good pub grub, and wash it down with a pitcher of beer or a classic cocktail.

45 East 18th Street, 212-529-6732

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The Astor Room

Flickr/wallyg

Don't sleep on Queens, because The Astor Room is a magnificent, regal callback to the bars of old New York City. It's located in the Kaufman Astoria Studios complex (above), originally serving as a commissary there. The Beaver Bar there offers creative riffs on classic cocktails and newly invented drinks like the Mary Pickford, a combination of rum, maraschino liqueur, and pineapple juice. Consider The Astor Room an East Coast version of Old Hollywood.

35-11 35th Avenue, Astoria, 718-255-1947

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Bill's Place

billsplaceharlem.com

Bill's Place started out as a Prohibition speakeasy in 1920s Harlem, but now this jazz joint has a no alcohol policy. That shouldn't stop you from coming by to enjoy nightly live music featuring known and unknown musicians at the top of their game. Bill's is run by saxophonist Bill Saxton and his wife Theda Palmer Saxton, PhD. Visit the website to see what's going on with their always busy schedule.

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